LRH, i wasnt saying it it terms of talent, I see it in terms of him wanting to be able to be a guy who just shows up and plays.. Boston let him go based in part on that, they traded thorton almost entirely based on that.. I wasnt saying I think Kessel needs a better center as much as i think he needs chris drury leadership etc in the locker room.

I do also think LRH, you need to take kessels totals with a grain of salt as most off his production was whe he first returned, when he was playing with a a chip on his shoulder and something to prove and putting numbers up at an ovechkin like pace....

There's no arguing the three ring circus he's been this year, but remember - last year he scored more goals than Bergeron (13-8 though Wideman played 15 more games). He had more points than Wheeler, Bergeron, Kobasew, and Lucic, and the same number (50) as Chara. He was sixth in +/-, behind only Duncan Keith among D and one + better than Lidstrom. He was 17th in time on ice. He wasn't as accomplished the year before, but he still had 13 goals and was 7th on the team in goals, 6th in points, 2nd in +/- and time on ice.

Again, right now, he's lost. Lost enough in his own head he may never come back. But a lot of teams would take what he gave the Bruins those two years, so they may gamble it's still there for him to give.

Once again, EVERYONE on the team looked good last year! Wideman is not a good defenseman. He never was and never will be. He scored a lot last year because he shot the puck a ton with no pressure. And guess what, he missed the net last year too.

Fluid and fast are two different things. I'll give him fluid, going forward. But there is no way he is fast. The guy gets beat on a touch up for icing by a guy several strides behind him.

I actually home PC trades him for someone in our conference so out team can take turns using him as a turnstile.

When Stuart and Boychuck get back Wideman better be the one taking a seat.

Part of my point, roy, is he's put up some decent numbers for two years, not just the one. Yeah, everyone looked good last year, and I don't have the video to argue from, but I wonder if the difference in Wideman's play is the most impactful difference between last year and this year. Hunwick's too, because his numbers aren't where they were. Wideman's awful on D, but they need him to be on his offensive game. None of the guys who might replace him will ever top 20 points. Boychuck might get 10 goals with that shot, so maybe he'll hit 20 points. None of them can pass. Wideman can pass. Right now, he passes to the other team about 50% of the time, but that can be fixed.

There's a reason Bob McKenzie suggested he'd be the centrepiece of a trade for Kovalchuk, and there's hope that he'll be more than team bellyflop champion in Boston. Just...get him back on his meds...or...whatever. 'Cause in the end, numbers are numbers and last year is last year.

Part of my point, roy, is he's put up some decent numbers for two years, not just the one. Yeah, everyone looked good last year, and I don't have the video to argue from, but I wonder if the difference in Wideman's play is the most impactful difference between last year and this year. Hunwick's too, because his numbers aren't where they were. Wideman's awful on D, but they need him to be on his offensive game. None of the guys who might replace him will ever top 20 points. Boychuck might get 10 goals with that shot, so maybe he'll hit 20 points. None of them can pass. Wideman can pass. Right now, he passes to the other team about 50% of the time, but that can be fixed. There's a reason Bob McKenzie suggested he'd be the centrepiece of a trade for Kovalchuk, and there's hope that he'll be more than team bellyflop champion in Boston. Just...get him back on his meds...or...whatever. 'Cause in the end, numbers are numbers and last year is last year.Posted by Bookboy007

I absolutely agree.Wideman has had a rough year but so has everyone.The bashers want to say he was only good because of the team last year and now,all of a sudden,it is his fault the team underperforms.It is ludicrous.He is an important part of the team or he is not.He can't be both.

WIDEMAN PLAYED BETTER??? HE TURNED OVER THE PUCK WITH 25 SECONDS TO GO IN THE GAME,AND ALMOST COST US THE POINTS!! THANK GOD THAT DIDNT GO IN!! WHO DOES THAT?? HE HAD AN EASY PASS SO LET'S SKATE AROUND INFRONT OF OUR OWN NET! AND LOSE THE PUCK...

WIDEMAN PLAYED BETTER??? HE TURNED OVER THE PUCK WITH 25 SECONDS TO GO IN THE GAME,AND ALMOST COST US THE POINTS!! THANK GOD THAT DIDNT GO IN!! WHO DOES THAT?? HE HAD AN EASY PASS SO LET'S SKATE AROUND INFRONT OF OUR OWN NET! AND LOSE THE PUCK...Posted by BRUINS420

In front of our net?He was hooked off the puck and it was behind our net.

CJ should not reward wideman's poor play late in the game by putting him out there in that type of situation.

Problem is that he pairs best with Chara and chara needs to play late in the game hence wideman is also out there

Unless CJ enforces some strict rules that careless play is not acceptable, pair chara with wideman for most of the game and in close situations late in the 3rd pair chara with someone else who is less careless

Uhhh... He had ONE turnover and zero takeaways. Nice try. But you would be better served to learn what a turnover actually IS. But nice job piling on a guy who is down. Typical "fan" LaterPosted by JefffromMaine

absolutely right.I am waiting for 1 of these expert "fans" to properly explain to me exactly what Wideman did to cause the "turnover" in the games final seconds.I mean aside from being hooked off the puck behind the net.

In Response to Re: Wideman **$%#(#*$(((** : In front of our net?He was hooked off the puck and it was behind our net.Posted by dezaruchi

I GUESS you missed the wrap around 1 second later that had Tukka surpised and should have went in??? eh bud!! Hooked off the puck is called a turnover when it leads into a scoring chance! AND WITH 25 SECONDS LEFT...

I was going to start a post about his "even worse than normal" play last night but it looks like you all beat me too it. The Buf game was the worst game i have seen from him so far. We should at least send him to the minors until he gets his stupid play out of his system, and if we loose him in the process, even better! The guy is just maddening to watch, i am suprised we actually won with that idiot logging so much ice time, w t f is CJ thinking??Posted by MDsizzle

I am far from a widemen supporter but I thought outside of the late turn over it was one of his best games all season, in the offensive end, in OT, great break out passes etc.. I did also miss most of the second, but I did see him hold a few pucks in the zone in the 3rd which has been a huge issue for him this year. So I am going to stay confident that maybe he is on the road to turning it around.Posted by rolerhoky19

OMG, I honestly cannot believe there are people trying to say this clown is good. He has been downright brutal ALL year. He can't shoot the puck on net, gets shots blocked, can't skate backwards, skate fast, check, clear out the front of the net, or pass to a teammate in stride.....other than that he is amazing.....Everytime there is a breakdown, we just know it's Wideman, sure enough... see the reply or catch the number as play continues.....yep it's him. It is embarassing....What game are you people watching???

CJ is thinking "I don't have anyone who can handle this amount of ice and the responsibility for starting break-outs better than Dennis." Sad, I know. But that's what he's thinking. Posted by Bookboy007

Sad but true, we would need a similar salary to replace what he is paid for but not getting done this year. He logs bigtime mins, maybe time to dial him down.

This is a case of a good player that has lost his way, fighting the puck and making mistakes that get amplified every game. I think he has talent, but likely has to go somewhere else to reclaim his game. It sure doesn't look like it's happening here in Boston. PC is a funny guy. He balked at $5 million for Kessel who at 22 is not even entering his prime yet (p.s. I don't think he's worth $5 million yet, but will be during the course of that contract), but pays Wideman and Lucic way too much money at their current stage of career based on only 1 good year. 4 years for Thomas was too much as well. Managing in a salary cap era isn't easy. In any event I think Wideman would be better playing for someone else. Bruins won't get much in return, especially given the contract, but it may come down to eating some salary. Wideman was a good junior player and will be good again.....even though I'm sure most of you are laughing at me now......IMHOPosted by LoveRealHockey

The only thing in that post to laugh at is the IMHO, this part cracks me up every time I see it, I guess this means that every other post you are lying through your teeth.LOLBy the By I lived in TO back when BORGIE played there, a lot of my buds were Leafs fans and I really felt for them, but they were die hards.

I have to admit I loved the Wideman signing. I didn't think he was deserving of that $$$ quite yet, but thought he had the potential and needed to be locked up. He has been awful this season, and I've been on the bashing bandwagon, but if you can watch with a lttle objectivity, he's been playing pretty well the last few games. He's not going anywhere, so lets' hope my/others' eyes don't decieve us!

I have to admit I loved the Wideman signing. I didn't think he was deserving of that $$$ quite yet, but thought he had the potential and needed to be locked up. He has been awful this season, and I've been on the bashing bandwagon, but if you can watch with a lttle objectivity, he's been playing pretty well the last few games. He's not going anywhere, so lets' hope my/others' eyes don't decieve us!Posted by CamOJonasink

You are so right.He is not going anywhere so shouldn't we be glad he's improving?Especially when the team won.